"I always compete with myself": Anupam Kher shares reason for working on international projects
Apr 30, 2023
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 30 : Veteran actor Anupam Kher has always entertained and engrossed the audience with his acting skills. His talent crossed geographical boundaries when he started working on international projects.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, the 'The Kashmir Files' actor opened up about the reason for joining Hollywood and not being confined to a particular type of cinema which was being made at that time.
Kher said, "I always have a competition with myself. I always say that it can go better, so mene itna kaam kar lia tha Hindustan mein ki (I had done that much work in India) that I was thinking about how I should make it difficult for myself because I think so competency is the biggest enemy of brilliance. As when you are competent then you think yeah what it is de dete hai interview, mera dialogue btaye aap bolta hu mai (let's give the interview, tell me the dialogues I will deliver)".
"Because when you are working so much, as it was not like that some earth-shattering movies were being made, so whatever was being made you wanted to be part of that," he added about deciding to work in any project which came his way.
When questioned about whether the typecasting started that time when he was doing international projects? He answered, "No like I was the first person to break the myth of typecasting in fact, as I was doing 'Karma' also, I was doing 'Ram Lakhan' I was doing 'Khosla Ka Ghosla' also, 'Wednesday' also. But I was always very ambitious and wanted some international mileage. Gurinder Chadha was making 'Bend Like Beckham' and one day I got a mail from her that I am making this film. I think she has offered this role to Mr. Bachchan or she had wanted to keep Mr. Bachchan in her mind for 'Bend It Like Beckham' for the father's role. As it can be in your ambition because the movie did become a cult film"
Narrating about his journey of bagging his debut international movie 'Bend It Like Beckham' Kher said, "I enquired as Deepak Nayar was the producer of the film, so she (Gurinder Chadha) said to me when I was in America that I should meet him in London. Then we met and she asked me will you do this film? So I agreed."
"After reading the script I was like yaar meri toh line nhi zaada (my lines aren't much) that was a Hindi film actor mentality that lines are less. Then I had a conversation with Gurinder and she said don't worry when the film will be ready they (the audience) will be happy about it. So as I belonged to a Hindi medium school, I think in Hindi, so it was really difficult for me when I started speaking in English because I had to first translate it from Hindi to English and then speak it in a way ki mei toh second language English hai. (that my second language is English). But then that happened later on 'Silver Linings Playbook' happened a lot of films happened that way. But only because I went out of my comfort zone," Kher concluded.
Kher also shared his experience of working in the TV show 'ER' even when it was not a central role. Anupam said, "My acting teacher used to say If you are good you will be noticed, and that happened."
Anupam Kher's international movie 'Bend It Like Beckham' was nominated for Golden Globe Awards which gained him a lot of attention from the global audience.
